Webmail Still A Useful Alternative Web 2 0 Build On It What Internet Etiquette Net Etiquette Bring Your Search For That Person To The Internet 15 Creative Photo Ideas

Webmail is becoming an increasingly popular form of internet communication. Virtually ever internet user now has a webmail address through providers such as hotmail, Gmail, yahoo, and others.

Webmail is a good alternative to many internet users over the traditional email server as it can be accessed from anyplace with an internet connection.

There is no need to be connected to the computer which contains your IP address.

Webmail also offers filtering services that take some of the inconveniences out of running every attachment you receive through a virus detections program. Webmail servers depend on customer satisfaction to keep them going, so their virus detection software is almost always top of the line.

In addition, webmail providers often include filtering processes through which unwanted mail is delivered to a junk box, and needs never be seen by the person using the mail.

Most webmail accounts now also offer free connectivity to other users of the service, so that you can talk to friends while you are online without having to go to a chatroom or other service to do it.

There are a few inconveniences to using a webmail system, however. Businesses often browse the database for addresses, and then send unwanted mail to your account. This mail can sometimes make it through the filter, although the filters are becoming better and better.

Sometimes, the filter can be too good. If you are giving out your webmail address to potential clients and employers, or anywhere else, it is important to check your junk mail before it is emptied (this is usually done automatically every few days) to make sure you are not missing an important message.

The advantages of webmail far outweigh the inconveniences. The filters are designed to err on the side of caution, so they are highly effective when it comes to scanning your unsolicited email. You can also use them in the same way that you would use a normal email account, to record addresses and have a list of favorites for handy reference. Most even supply useful conveniences like schedules and multiple folder options.

In 1999, ICMediaDirect.com opened up shop as an online advertising agency, and we viewed our chosen milieu, the Internet, as a limitless possibility – there was no talk of bubbles, no clouds on the horizon. In fact, conversations in the business tended to include terms like venture capital or IPO and it didn’t matter who was talking. We knew who scored what and when. Like weekend golfers talking about the Masters, we dreamed of being the next eBay. Guys like me with, well, ordinary websites talked turkey, big turkey. And why wouldn’t we? Those were halcyon times then.

And they’re back – except, ahem, this time it’s different. I hope. Nah, I’m sure of it.

Y2K was distinctly a time of fortuitous updraft; we were swept up in a tide of optimism. This Internet thing seemed like it was going to last forever. The early 90’s brought us a proliferation of interconnected tech advances that gave rise to a new medium of business.

Personal computing had become universally available and affordable. Rapid advancements in the digital media field, improvements in size and scope of network infrastructures, and the rise of giant Internet companies for connection and service created an Internet we still recognize today. Deals went down, geeks got rich (or richer), and about the magic in this Internet – we believed.

There was a problem, though – promise and wonder alone cannot fill out a bottom line. Economic reality called in its chips and publicly traded stocks, the most successful of the start-ups who’d already actually “made it”, with their valuations 100, 200, 300 times earnings came tumbling down. So, that money, which had raced too far ahead of ideas and their implementations, retreated. And when the markets soured, so too did sentiment.

Money, as it’s wont to do, overtook dreams; it had run right past the sensible bounds of ideas. Soaring stock prices and gaudy deals in unproven fields had created a nasty bubble. It was the Web 1.0 bubble, but at the time I thought it was a buying opportunity.

It was March 2000 when the tech market started tanking. Actual technology however, never retreated, even though the casual observer might have thought engineers went to find new careers. Okay, some did, but still, science did not retreat. So, as the money dried up, Internet capability continued to grow.

And it grew rather quietly until the shape of a Web 2.0 was recognized. Like the Internet itself, Web 2.0 did not start with the flip of a switch, but instead it materialized with the gradual confluence of profitable web ventures, added Internet usability, and mass availability to high-speed connection.

I am not uncomfortable crowning Google king, or at least the most emblematic of Web 2.0 examples. In fact, while the dot-com bust was at its most bleak, the boom times of Google were just getting started.

More importantly, Google and their successful IPO mark a new age of profitability for Internet advertising. Sure, people may talk bubble, but they’d be talking about GOOG being overpriced, and not a leaky boat in a storm. Google is profitable. Yahoo is profitable. Microsoft’s AdCenter is coming. Ask.com might be on the rise. These are big companies vying for share in a profitable Internet arena.

Compare this with the original Internet boom, there was certainly competition, sizable big money competition – but over unproven business models that were ultimately unprofitable. It’s different now.

Web 2.0 is just getting started. There is a focus on making the Internet a platform for end users. Paying bills online is no longer a novelty. Shopping for clothes and books online is commonplace. Mobile music playing components are built around the compatibility of downloading music off the Internet and not store bought units. MySpace is an interactive pen-pal phenomenon far beyond anything we’d have predicted only two years ago. Even Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phoning is saving phone customers money.

These are the old dreams that went up in smoke five and six years ago. We’re just getting started.

Joseph Pratt

Media Analyst

ICMediaDirect.comhttps://www.coolwebtips.com joseph@icmediadirect.com

Many people know how — and do conduct themselves in the real world properly. However, many people are unaware that this same conduct needs to be applied online as well. Net etiquette is basically the rules you should follow while in Cyberspace. These seven rules are what I learned on my Cyber journey and what I try to follow while on the Internet – let’s see if you agree.

First and foremost, you must remember that even though you are sitting alone at your computer – and no one is replying, say to your blog, does not mean they are not lurking (reading and learning but not commenting). Translated, there are real people reading what you are writing – and if you make derogatory comments or accusations – they will be felt by that person. If you do make derogatory comments or accusations – please verify, verify, verify, verify – this is libel.

Second, be ethical – being ethical should not go out the door when you get into Cyberspace – what applies to offline business and personal conduct, applies to online business and personal conduct.

Third, if you go into a forum it is advisable to take the time to do some lurking before posting. Learn the ways of the forum before posting. Some forums will not tolerate any advertising – they are there to discuss their topic and to learn, and to share information.

Fourth, the Internet allows you anonymity, which means, you are not judged by the way you look or the clothing you wear. But you are judged on what you write – that is the only way in which people can make judgments on you and your character.

Fifth, when writing on the Internet, be sure to check your facts. Research and verify before getting on your soapbox – it can save you a lot of grief – loss creditability. Remember, your writing is their first impressions of you.

Sixth, be kind and do not use offense language.

Seventh, share your knowledge and be open to learning from others.

I would like to conclude by saying that the Internet is a vast international community of people, sharing ideas, experiences and knowledge. It is a great community, yes, there are some bad eggs, but the community is ever vigilant and will alert all to the bad eggs. While on the Internet, be aware of your conduct, for that is how the Internet knows who you are.

If you are looking to locate somebody there are a couple of ways that you can go about doing it. But with the advent of the Internet the best way is through search engines and other Internet services that allow you to locate somebody.

A generalized tool would be a search engine. You can type the persons name into the search engine and get results based on their name. This may or may not turn up search results depending on if their name has ever been in print, online, etc.

If you are looking to definitely pin point somebody your best bet would be to check out a “people locating” service. If you want to go about doing things this way you need to first find a service that works for you. The first step would be to type in “finding people” in your favorite search engine. This will return several services that will allow you to hunt down the person you are looking to find. Next, you will probably have to create an account with the service. This way they will have all of your information and will know where to deliver your results. You will then need to specify how you are going to pay for these services. Most companies accept credit card, which is usually the easiest way of doing things. Now to actually find somebody you need to provide the service with as many details that you can regarding the person. Thing includes personal details like name, date of birth, address, etc.

Remember that these services do not always work, but if you are in desperate need it is worth a shot. Do your research on each company before deciding on which one to use. It will save you time and money in the long run.

1. Surf around the Web. Look at images at magazines, papers, on-line galleries and you’ll find a wealth of ideas. Try the Gallery at shotaddict.com. Want more – go to flickr.com and look through tones of creative shots. Another useful source is VFXY, it displays recent posts from various photoblogs.

2. Learn the ‘visual language’. Visit Art Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions that have photography shows. Learn art history from Antiquity to the Present and discover how highly creative people developed methods for expressing light and color.

3. Watch Movies. It is another source of inspiration, as they are nothing more than still images shown to you at 29.97 frames a second. Lots of ideas for concepts, lighting, messages, or just plain pretty images.

4. Read photography books to learn new techniques and then try to apply them in your work.

5. Look at things through the eyes of creativity. Pick anything and shoot it just to see what it looks like: things around your house, in the refridgerator, etc. The subject doesn’t really matter all that much, what matters is how you shoot it. Shoot, shoot and still shoot even more. Digital is cheap.

6. Composition is the key. Think about what you are doing. Frame your photo in your mind. Look for interesting angles and light, go high, go low. The key is to shoot the subject in as many different ways, under different lighting, and try to make those images interesting. So, don’t just point and shoot, but consider composition.

7. The twenty step exercise. If you lack inspiration, you can take your camera, go outside and start shooting anything around. Each photographer has their own secret. Some recommends shooting 100 photos in one hour. Others suggest you should try to get 100 shots from within the 10 metre radius of where you are. Others play twenty steps. Go out for a walk, walk twenty steps, stop, look around, take a picture (try and make it interesting, an unusual angle, a closeup, abstract, etc), walk another twenty steps, repeat. The point is to develop your eye, learn to look more indepth at your surroundings, to look in close as well as wide. This exercise forces you to try and see the mundane differently.

8. Plan a trip to a local botanical garden or a zoo. Make sure to visit such places from time to time, – there are lots of things to shoot there.

9. Shoot in different conditions. E.g. iff you shoot in early morning, late in the afternoon or in sunset, the available light will add more depth, create interesting shadows and color changes for your convenience. Try to photograph places in fog – it will hide distracting background elements.

10. Look through postcards. If you want to shoot the city you live in, or you plan a trip to some excited place, you’ll find it useful to look through postcards. Often we walk past something time and time again and never actually notice its potential. Besides, postcards will give you ideas what is the best way to shoot the subject.

11. Learn how to “see” with your camera – another exercise to develop your eye. If your camera has a viewfinder, look through it for some time. Then look at a scene, and imagine how the camera will see it. Then hold again your camera up to your face and find out if you were right. Keep trying until you can tell immediately what the camera will see.

12. Self-criticism Shoot, shoot and shoot! But after you take tons of images, you should sort them ruthlessly. 10% of worthy photos for a day is not bad results.

13. Enter online contests. It’s great inspiration to find interesting stuff to photograph. You have a topic, and it can make it easier to find interesting stuff to shoot. Try Contests at shotaddict.com.

14. Join a photo community and interest groups. It is cheap, informative, and fun. You can post your photos, participate in critique and discussions at forums. Some very good and interesting stuff to be found there!

15. Take a photo a day and see your life in a whole new way. It is a great article from Photojojo. Remember that a camera that you don’t have with you is a camera that’s not going to take any pictures. So try to have your camera on you as often as possible.